Spring is in full swing and that means rain. From April 1st to May 8th, we had 94.6mm of rain on the roof of the Earth Rangers Centre. A typical rainfall for this period is about 100mm, so no surprises this year. For the facility team, spring means checking the roofs drains and systems to ensure no damage or obstructions in the drains from winter snow melt and fall leaves. We collect this rain water and use it for irrigation for new plantings, the green roof and toilet and urinal flushing.
Our three roof surfaces require different levels of maintenance. In terms of the amount of effort required, the green roof is the most intense, as it requires regular weeding and maintenance of the growing medium and plants. The white TPO membrane roof from Firestone does not normally require surface maintenance other than periodic inspection for contaminants, cuts or punctures, and check to make sure drains are free and clear of debris. The sloped Enviroshake recycled rubber roof requires only basic visual inspection, and to date has not required any maintenance.
The green roof has been the focus of maintenance efforts this spring. First, Exquisite Landscaping helped to clean up and trim dead perennial growth from the grasses and flowers. In the coming week, we will be adding worm castings (or worm poop for the layperson!) as a natural fertilizer.
The results of this effort from past years are already evident. The chives are almost ready to show purple flowers. Manual spreading of their seeds in the fall is paying dividends now in new growth.
We also reconnected and tested the irrigation system. It uses treated wastewater from our treatment plant as well as captured rainwater to water the plants when there is not enough rain. New this year, we have added a water meter to track how much water we use to keep the roof looking its best during the drier parts of the summer.
We’re working on a project to meter how much rain water is actually coming off our both our green and white roofs, completing our knowledge of the water cycle at the ERC. Stay tuned for an announcement in the coming weeks.